There are two basic strategies for assigning items to bin locations in a warehouse. In a fixed slotting system, every SKU has a set location and new replenishments of that item go to the same bin. In a random slotting system, items are placed in any open bin into which they fit, a decision made on the fly by… Read More

Some might argue that automation comes at too high a price for many distribution operations. Amazon’s army of KIVA robots, for example, came with a price tag of $775 million. The company is looking at a payback period of 44 years for the investment.

Well, that’s not fair. According to Amazon, these shelf-moving buggies eliminate picker travel in their distribution centers which means that wherever they install them, the buggies boost productivity from 100 units picked per hour to 300 units picked per hour. Remember, this isn’t retail split case picking;… Read More

After a late lunch in the North end, I was back in the parking garage to fetch my car and head over to Logan Airport. By the time I showed up to retrieve my car, a small placard stating “Garage Full” blocked the entry. I got into a line of three people looking to settle their bill and get their keys.… Read More